Have We Done Manhattan Yet?
by SonicTeamCE
Summary: Because I'm a horrible person. That's why. Basically, different ways River might respond to this question, because let's face it, any of them are going to break our hearts. Accepting requests for reactions (mood, actions, words) and for other mid-season writings eg how they left it, meeting Clara
1. Have We Done Manhattan Yet?

**AN ~ Because however she responds to this question, it's going to break our hearts. I know. I'm a horrible person. Five days to go! I am SO EXCITED!**

**Have We Done Manhattan Yet?**

"Oh God," Clara grimaced, looking around at the cafe patrons and passing pedestrians who were not taking much effort to hide their stares at the slightly bewildered young woman and her far stranger companion.

"Hm?" the Doctor looked up from his milkshake, knowing that he had a bubbly yellow banana moustache, and smiling all the more widely for it.

"They probably think we're related," Clara groaned under her breath. "Ugh! They probably think you're my _boyfriend!"_

_So did that bloke you governessed for, _the Doctor almost said. Or _well you did kiss me once_. But he quickly decided against it, realising that after so many years alone in a box with his own thoughts, he had forgotten how non-wimey humans minds were. He did, however, delight in their myriad facial expressions. It was amazing how much these creatures could convey with a smile...or a glare. Much like the one Clara was giving him now actually. Innocently, the Doctor wiped away his moustache and restrained himself to using the straw, though he shot her back a disgruntled look. Clara gave a satisfied nod and settled back in the chair, jerking her book decidedly open and waiting for him to decide when to tell her what was going on – she was hardly going to beg.

"I'll have you know," a refined, feminine voice interrupted from behind the Doctor. "He's taken."

The man in the bow tie nearly jumped out of his skin. Banana milkshake sloshed off the table and he jumped back before he could get too much of it on himself. Clara was not so lucky, and yelped as a small splash decorated her front as she leapt out of her chair.

"S-sorry about-" the Doctor spun in all directions, unsure exactly who he was apologising to and more focused on finding the glass before it rolled away somewhere leaving a trail of sticky yellowness behind it.

Instead, his eyes settled on a pair of familiar red shoes. Platform heels actually. On familiar feet. The dress was different, but though he didn't like to admit it (to anyone but her) he knew those curves quite intimately. He knew when this woman was standing before him, even without the hair. Though he most certainly loved the hair.

"River," he gasped, trying not to look or sound too bewildered as he stared with mixed emotions at her long-suffering but amused smile. She held up the milkshake glass.

"Looking for this, Sweetie?"

"I- um. Hello. Yes." After a few flails, River decided the Doctor was trying to beckon her to join him. He took the glass, though he didn't seem to know what to do with it, and promptly left it on another couple's table. The couple were speechless, far too busy watching the strange proceedings than to care about a stray dish.

Unfortunately for them, and for most of the other observers, the three strangest strangers they had ever seen decided to take their business elsewhere; down a quiet street and into an equally quiet park, where they could talk.

Sat on a park bench, one woman either side of him, the Doctor wasn't sure what to say. Part of him felt like grabbing River and kissing her until she couldn't breathe: he was so sorry for what had happened, what he had and had not done, and he was so happy to see her again. Part of him wanted to crawl back into his box and never come out. Part of him wanted the Ponds again.

_Raggedy Man...Goodbye._

The words flashed through his mind as if she was standing right next to him, saying them again. A chill ran through him. He had almost forgotten those words...just for a moment.

_You be a good girl, and you look after him._

_River. They were your parents._

_It doesn't matter._

The blonde woman took out a small, battered book from her handbag. A dairy, by the looks of it. Clara frowned slightly as she studied it; it looked like the Tardis.

"So, where are we this time?" River asked, an edge to her voice to cut through whatever thoughts the Doctor was lost in. The man sighed, age and youth competing in his dark eyes as his thoughts returned to the present and, inflating them with cheer Clara guessed was false, asked:

"Have we done Manhattan yet?"


	2. One

**AN ~ ok here comes the first heart twisting ending to chapter one (I hope it's not too confusing; this is NOT a continuous story, each chapter will follow from chapter 1). I am still wondering how to name these. Should I just call them chapter/option 1, 2, 3 etc, the first one being 'Have We Done Manhattan Yet?', name them by emotion, or give each an individual chapter name? What do you guys think?**

"_Have we done Manhattan yet?"_

.o.o.o.

"Hm-hm," River snorted, flicking through her pages to double check, biting her lip against a smile that arose from one of their racier trips as she scanned past. "Nope." She peered closer at her page, and the Doctor swivelled more in his seat to face her. She seemed to be quivering with energy, with joy. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. _Because what's the point in them being happy now when they're going to be sad later?_

"Not with you anyway," River amended, eyes still focused on her diary which, seeing him shift positions, she slid a little further away in case he was trying to peek over her shoulder. "Oops, forgot about that...We should stay away from 1987. I may or may not have instigated a slight glitch in the stock exchange. If you don't already know that. Which you probably do."

She looked up at him, her curls bouncing around her face, her eyes sparkling. Young and happy. His hearts simultaneously shrivelled and soared.

"River Song," the Doctor quipped, more gently than usual but unable to resist a smile. "You bad bad girl." He leaned back towards Clara, inviting her in on the conversation, and gestured to River. Clara leaned around him to look at the stranger, as the Doctor explained in a stage-whisper: "This woman is amazing. Twelve thousand consecutive life sentences in the highest security prison in the universe, and she still finds time to make trouble for me to clean up."

"Never could resist a price on my head," River offered. "Doctor River Song." Folding her diary closed with one hand and hugging it close, she reached out her free hand to Clara, who shook it, still slightly bewildered. Then, to the Doctor, River added; "They'll be chasing me off the Empire State Building any second."

"Don't worry," the Doctor replied with a glance at the Tardis. "I've got it."

"Always do." With a laugh in her voice, River stood, and like a Mexican wave, the Doctor and then Clara followed. Clutching her handbag, River spun to face them with an expression of desperate excitement, like a child who could hear the ice cream van. "I don't suppose I can crash your current adventure?" she asked the Doctor. "I didn't bring my blaster, I promise."

The Doctor was pleasantly surprised that the voice in his head asking how long this was going to last, was drowned out by his own advice. _The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later. _He raised one hand over his head, and clicked his fingers. The Tardis doors swung open, eliciting giddy grins from both companions of the mad old magician.

"All aboard," he invited. "Next stop: everywhere!"


	3. Two

**AN ~ waaaah Dad broke my glasses so I can't watch DW tomorrow (on the TV) coz they're still being fixed! Noooo! Anyway, here is another chapter/potential ending. But "No" and "Yes" aren't the only answers! There are more chapters coming! Suggestions are VERY welcome, as are title suggestions. Thank you!**

"_Have we done Manhattan yet?"_

.o.o.o.

Halfway through turning a page over, River stopped. Not tense, as if this had come as a shock; just paused, waiting for the reaction to cycle through her body, for the urge to collapse to pass. But as she gently lowered the page, she could feel two pairs of eyes on her, and her shoulders sunk.

Whatever this was, it was not for her eyes. Clara quickly looked away, her eyes following grey pavement and grass and dead leaves, and all of it shining with rain but unable to wash River Song's expression from her thoughts.

"Yes." River replied after a long moment, as if the answer was not obvious. She closed her eyes for a moment, and sighed as she looked up at the Doctor, whose eyes were deep and shining with apology. He lifted his hands from his lap, put them back down again, and then hesitantly put the nearest of his hands over both of hers where they rested, covering the open diary. River followed this hand to its place, and then could see the Doctor seeking her eyes once more. She looked at him and smiled briefly.

"Nearly a year," she said. She waited for him to tell her, and he shook his head.

"Too long," was all he said.

Silence passed between them, until at last the Doctor could resist the urge no longer. He swung his arm from River's lap over her shoulders and hugged her sideways, so that he pulled her into leaning against him. She laughed and swung back the other direction, batting him away, swinging to her feet and snapping the diary shut in one swift motion.

"Spoilers!" she teased in a sing-song voice, dangling the diary far out of his reach. But then her eyes flickered over Clara's face, and the smile sunk from her lips once more. The girl was frowning into the concrete as if struggling to remember something.

"_Pond," _Clara whispered, very quietly, almost below her breath.

"What did you say?" the Doctor asked, breathless. He stood up and almost staggered away from the seat. "Clara. What?"

"I don't know," Clara shrugged, frown almost disappearing. "I've just heard the name before, I guess."

"What name?"

"Pond." She stated it as if it were the simplest thing in the world. As if they had just been talking about the Ponds by name. Wide eyed, the Doctor and River shared a glance.

"What's that look supposed to mean?" Clara asked, wariness in her tone. When the pair of them turned back to look at her, she instantly recognised the glint in the old man's eyes.

"Oh n-"

The Doctor grabbed her hand and hauled her up from her seat, towards the big blue box.


End file.
